If you believe Tito Ortiz’s post-fight confessional Saturday, it has become virtually impossible to defeat him without Ortiz starting the job himself. Cracked orbital, dislodged vertebrae, a washout training camp: one half-expected to see him wheeled out to the post-fight press conference in an iron lung.
In addition to obliterating his credibility, Ortiz’s admissions may have left some fans feeling downright defrauded: his main event with Forrest Griffin hinged on his claim that his back -- surgically repaired after years of problems -- was no longer an issue and he was in fine fighting form. (It was, it still is, and he was not.) ... Read More
It was a banner night for Great Britain on Nov. 14 as the Ultimate Fighting Championship staged UFC 105 in front of its biggest U.K. crowd to date. ... Read More
When the UFC’s hype engine fails to deliver any real, palpable anticipation for a fight -- as in the case of Saturday’s Tito Ortiz/Forrest Griffin rematch, which is fine but far from the Epic Super Rematch of Mega Titans some clever editing and music are presenting it as -- you can make up your own narrative.
In this instance, UFC 106’s four light heavyweights might potentially be participating in a four-man tournament for a chance at the title without knowing it. In addition to Ortiz/Griffin, a debuting Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will face Luis Arthur Cane; the respective winners would have time to meet before May 1’s Lyoto Machida/Mauricio Rua rematch. It may be all that you need to sit a little closer to the television. ... Read More
A recent frenzy of Zuffa-sponsored shows reaches its climax this Saturday, as UFC 106 “Ortiz vs. Griffin 2” features some of the best pure matchmaking mixed martial arts has seen in some time. ... Read More
(PRESS RELEASE) -- The first ever UFC card on Spike TV featuring Randy “The Natural” Couture drew an average audience of 2.9 million viewers on Saturday, November 14 (8:00 – 11:00 PM). ... Read More
If there are twelve steps to coping with Dan Hardy getting a title shot against Georges St. Pierre in 2010, Josh Koscheck is still somewhere around number one: denial.
Speaking to Heavy.com, Koscheck -- who lost to St. Pierre in 2007 and trains with Mike Swick, whom Hardy defeated last weekend -- discredited the opportunity, alleging that promoters are “just trying to get someone for St. Pierre to beat up.”
“He doesn’t deserve a title shot,” Koscheck said. “It’s simple, but I don’t make those decisions.” ... Read More
The thing about promoting conflict resolution through violence: your talent pool is going to take a beating.
Since October, an alarming number of the UFC’s box office attractions have been sidelined due to injury or illness. Anderson Silva had bone spurs removed from his elbow; Georges St. Pierre’s injured groin kept him out of the gym; Shane Carwin is suffering MCL strain; Lyoto Machida needed hand surgery following his last bout; Quinton Jackson is in Hollywood exile; most alarmingly, Brock Lesnar -- the UFC’s single biggest draw, and a peer of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather as the biggest draws on pay per view -- collapsed in Canada. Dana White tells TMZ.com that Lesnar may need “major surgery” to correct an ambiguous intestinal disorder. ... Read More
UFC 105 “Couture vs. Vera” was a solid event. First and foremost, it provided a stage for the company’s U.K. talent, as Englishmen were victorious in seven of their nine bouts on Saturday at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England. ... Read More
In trying to come up with a metaphor for Randy Couture’s current physical abilities, you can’t do much better than a boat anchor. If he gets a lock on your body, he will either drag you down or exhaust you with your own resistance, swimming against the current he creates. It’s an ugly way to go.
Against Brandon Vera Saturday in Manchester, England, Couture clung to Vera while landing few effective strikes. The biggest moments in the bout came only when Vera had the distance to land body shots, which Couture’s creaky reflexes allowed through. Despite Vera delivering the damage of the fight, including a knockdown, judges figured Couture’s lone takedown and pressing Vera into the fence trumped it.
If the fight were scored as a whole, Vera would probably win. As it is, they appeared to split two rounds and stalemate a third. A draw would have made the most sense. Increasingly, we should not expect judges to do the sensible thing. ... Read More
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